PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa unveiled his ministry’s maiden budget yesterday which outlined thirteen key priority areas that he said would help realise the goals set by the Fifth Phase Government.
The prime minister requested the National Assembly to approve 236.8 billion/- for the fiscal year 2016/2017 out of which 71.6 billion is for recurrent expenditure while 165.2 is for development expenditure.
The areas that will be prioritised in the next financial year according to Mr Majaliwa are economy, employment, youth, social security and the production sector. Others are economic services, social services, improving Dodoma headquarters, international relations and coordinating government activities, media, law, defence and security, helping people with disabilities, politics and sports.
On the economy, the premier said the major goal of the government was to ensure that Tanzania became a middle-income economy and an industrialised country. According to him, economic growth was improving. He said that in 2015, the economy grew by 7.1 per cent compared to the 7.0 per cent in 2014.
“The sectors that contributed to growth of economy are works, communication, finance and energy, among others,’’ he said. Inflation in 2015 according to the prime minister stood at 5.6 per cent compared with 6.1 per cent in 2014 and that the growth of the economy would attract more investment opportunities and strengthen employment as well as increase government revenue.
On employment, Mr Majaliwa told the National Assembly that the government would continue implementing the five-year Development Plan which aims at increasing the number of people with highest level of knowledge from the current three per cent to 12 per cent that is required in the industrial economy.
The premier said in the 2016/17 financial year, the government would coordinate the establishment of the National Council and inculcate hard working among the youth. Commenting on the social security funds, Mr Majaliwa said the government would supervise the implementation of the Employment and Labour Relations Act to ensure that employers abide by requisite contracts.
On the aliens working in the country, the prime minister said the government collected 21bn/- as of March 2015, since the law to regulate foreigners working in the country came into effect. The money was collected in a crackdown on workers employed in the country without working permits.
The premier presented his budget estimates in Parliament just a day after the National Assembly endorsed unanimously the proposed second Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP), which among other issues, aims at boosting industrialisation for economic development.
Yesterday, Mr Majaliwa reiterated that the government would increase efforts in improving industries in the country. He said the government would also work to find the lasting solution for land disputes and improve infrastructure.
Business people have a reason to smile as the prime minister promised that the government would put measures in place to reduce the number of days in clearing cargo at different ports especially the Dar es Salaam port.
On the energy sector, the PM said the government would make sure that there was access to electricity for all and at an affordable price. “We will also ensure that there is availability of electricity in rural areas through Rural Energy Agency (REA).
